1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved debridger, and more particularly to a debridger for minimizing the bridging of cellulose insulation within storage bins in a cellulose insulation manufacturing plant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a typical cellulose insulation plant, bundled paper, such as newspaper, is passed through a shredder and then is fed by a blower to a cyclone which separates the dust particles and feeds the cellulose into the top of a surge bin or storage bin where it falls by gravity to the bottom to be fed by augers through an outlet to a second grinder. At this point, chemical fire retardants are usually added to the cellulose after which it is fed to a second cyclone which separates further dust particles and then feeds the treated cellulose into the top of a storage bin or bagging bin where it falls by gravity to the bottom thereof and is fed by auger means into the bags.
It is at these storage bins, such as the surge bin and the bagging bin, where cellulose often bridges across the bin because of its light, fluffy nature and its affinity for other cellulose particles. This bridging prevents further downward feeding and causes the augers to be undersupplied with cellulose, thereby interfering with the efficiency of the plant operation. Various types of apparatus have been devised for feeding the cellulose from the top of the bin to the bottom so that it does not bridge across the bin. One such debridging apparatus is disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Ser. No. 822,232. In this device, a horizontally mounted rotor assembly is provided in each bin. The rotor has two arms extending outwardly from the axis at the sides of the bin which are interconnected at opposite ends by a transverse, tightly stretched wire. The rotor is constantly rotated causing the wires on each end of the arms to move up along the sides of the bin and then across the top and the bottom, respectively, and down the opposite sides. While this apparatus decreases the bridging of the cellulose across the bin, it is not entirely satisfactory. One reason for this is that the wires mainly move along the sides of the bin and across the top and bottom, but leave the central area untouched and, therefore, bridging can occur within the area circumscribed by the wires.